Antique attic, vol. 2

The nearly 400-year history of mechanized calculation was created by men and women with varying and diverse talents, temperaments, backgrounds and education, working in such fields as mathematics, the sciences, government, business and commerce. It is a history not just of singular inspiration and genius but also the continuing, collective discovery of new materials, skills, technologies and techniques to implement and enhance the plans and dreams of individual inventors and scientists.

Down through the years, beginning largely in the 1930s, IBM has helped to chronicle and contribute to this history by collecting a number of significant counting and reckoning tools and devices -- including abacuses, slide rules, calculators, arithmometers and tabulators -- and by preserving some of its own and other pioneering products.

A few months ago, we put on virtual display some of the artifacts in IBM's historical collection of computing devices in the Artifacts list for vol. 1. Now, we're inviting you to see and learn about additional items in that collection by visiting our Artifacts list for vol. 2.